Historians still argue over how long people have inhabited Cambodia and from where they originated. Apart from pebble tools of Pleistocene age, archaeologists have uncovered pottery and other remains from a cave at Laang Spean, in north western Cambodia, Carbon-14 dated to about 4200 BC. Anthropologists deduce from skull bones of humans excavated at Samrong Sen, dated to around 1500 BC, that these ancient Cambodians resemble their modern counterparts, allowing for later infusion of Chinese and Vietnamese blood. Yet the primary cultural influence was Indian. Cattle-raising was introduced here from India in Bronze Age times, along with rice cultivation.

In fact trade existed between the two countries even before the Indians adopted Sanscrit. They introduced Hinduism, and with it phallic worship. Phallic stones were erected throughout the land and sacrifices to them by the farmers was believed to ensure soil fertility. These stones honoured the Indian god Siva. The major Indian cultural invasion took place from the 2nd to the 6th centuries AD, via the empire of Funan, the capital of which was in the lower Mekong region. The state would later be absorbed by the Khmer kingdom of Chenla in the 8th century AD. Writing came to Cambodia from India, Sanscrit, together with meters for poetry, during the 3rd century AD, and their kings were given Indian names.

Much argument continues over what languages were spoken by ancient Cambodians before the introduction of writing. It is however certain that, by the beginning of the Christian era Cambodians were already speaking languages related to those of modern day Cambodia or Khmer. Buddhism arrived in Cambodia from India to eclipse Hinduism after 500 BC and with it came new architectural ideas, political and sociological teachings. They also introduced an astronomical science. it is certain that, without the Indians, the great cultural centre of Angkor would never have come into being. The Chinese also played a role in Cambodian history.

For the first five centuries of the Christian era, Chinese chroniclers recorded Cambodian history, so that today all surviving ancient written sources for Cambodian history are entirely Chinese. In the Mekong delta the trade city of Oc-Eo was established {near the modern Vietnamese village of that name}. It became a cross roads for merchants of the ancient world, and an all important trading port for traders and others sailing between India and China. Here Roman coins dating from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD have been recovered, along with many Indian artifacts, which include seals and jewellery of the same period.

Chinese items also mingle with others from lands further south. The location of Oc-Eo was ideal for vessels following the coastline and "turning the corner" from either direction into the China Sea. Ships came here from the Red Sea and island south-east Asia. Oc-Eo became known as 'Funan' to the Chinese after the period 253 and 519 AD, when the region paid tribute to China and inscriptions in both Sanscrit and Khmer began making thier appearance at this time.

Borobudurwall